Dear Bear Valley Springs Residents,
We continue to receive calls and questions from residents asking when the gym and other Whiting Center facilities will reopen, I want to provide everyone with an update on the Whiting Center and the progress we are making toward reopening the facility.
We understand how important the Center is to our community and how much residents depend on it for exercise, recreation, meetings and other activities.
Building Inspection
Last Thursday, we had the Whiting Center fully inspected by an independent third-party commercial building inspection company. We are currently waiting for their final written report this morning.
Following the inspection, we were able to confirm that there is no apparent structural damage to the building and no visible damage to the building’s wiring resulting from the electrical surge.
Overall, the inspection confirmed that the electrical surge did not appear to cause damage to the physical structure of the Whiting Center. All of the damage was to all of the equipment, lights and electrical systems throughout the entire facility.
Fire Alarm Replacement
The Fire Alarm system as communicated sustained significant damage and will be replaced by the end of this week. The installation is expected to take several days to complete. We are hopeful that the system will be operational after the installation is completed, allowing us to continue with the other repairs needed to reopen the Whiting Center.
Repairs and Replacement of Equipment
Based on the building inspection, our General Contractor and Maintenance staff will have a clear understanding of the repairs and replacements needed throughout the Whiting Center this week. We are expecting to have a complete repair and replacement list after the final building inspection is received.
We have already made significant progress and all of the lighting fixtures in the Whiting Center were replaced and the replacement of damaged electrical outlets will continue this week.
Based on preliminary recommendations from the building inspector, we will also need to replace all the circuit breakers subpanels in the Whiting Center. This will be done to ensure the breakers are functioning properly following the electrical surge and to provide an added level of safety as we restore the building’s electrical systems.
Another major items that will need to be addressed in the next few weeks before the Whiting Center can reopen is the HVAC system. The HVAC replacement equipment and Ice Machine have been ordered and are expected to arrive by the end of this week. We also need to address burned out circuit boards as part of the electrical repairs. Once the equipment arrives, we will begin coordinating the installation and the necessary electrical work.
We have also ordered new treadmills, sauna equipment and the entire system serving the spa which all need to be completely replaced. Some of these installations are more involved than a typical equipment replacement like the treadmills. The work will require time to complete and will be coordinated with our Maintenance Department. During these installations, we will need to continue shutting off the power, at times, all or portions of or the entire building while the repairs are completed. This is one of the reasons the Whiting Center will not be able to re-open immediately.
Projected Re-Opening Timeline
If everything goes as planned, we are hopeful that we can re-open the Whiting Center in approximately two weeks. This is our goal, but the final re-opening date will depend on completing the necessary repairs, installations and safety checks. We will keep you posted later this week.
We know this closure has been a significant inconvenience for all of us and how important the Whiting Center is to our community and how much residents depend on it for exercise, recreation, meetings and other activities.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this unexpected event.
Don Ciota, CMCA, AMS
General Manager / COO
